STUDY: BABIES IN DAY CARE TEND TO BE HEAVIER THAN THOSE WHO ARE NOT

July 11, 2008

Among 9-month-old infants, those who are regularly cared for by someone other than a parent gained more weight than other babies, partly because they were given solid food earlier, researchers from the University of Illinois and Harvard report in the latest issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

Other major findings:

About 55 percent of babies received care from someone other than a parent, and half of those babies were in full-time child care.

About 40 percent of the babies in child care had been there since they were younger than 3 months old, and they were less likely to have been breastfed and more likely to have started on solid foods early.

Among 9-month-old infants, those who are regularly cared for by someone other than a parent gained more weight than other babies, partly because they were given solid food earlier.

Overwhelming and consistent data support the notion that early weight gain during infancy is a strong risk factor for overweight in childhood and adulthood.

The researchers add that more research is needed to understand how early child care and feeding practices affect kids' risk of being overweight when they're older.

Source: Rita Rubin, "Study: Babies in Day Care Tend to be Heavier Than Those Who Are Not," USA Today, July 7, 2008.